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Revision as of 10:52, June 1, 2010

Metropolitan Isidor (Nikolsky) of St. Petersburg and Novgorod led the Eparchy of St. Petersburg and Novgorod in Russia from 1860 to 1892. He was a noted personality in Russia both as a religious figure and as a member of the science community, having been made an honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.

In 1829, he was raised to the dignity of archimandrite and installed as abbot of the Ss Peter and Paul Monastery of Mtsensk as well as appointed president of the Orel Theological Seminary. In 1833, Archimandrite Isidor was named president of the Moscow Theological Seminary.

In 1834, Isidor was consecratedBishop of Dmitrov, vicar to the Moscow Eparchy, Three years later, in 1837, Isidor was installed as Bishop of Polotsk and Vilno, and then in 1840, he became Bishop of Mogilev. In 1841, he became an Archbishop. In 1844, he was assigned as Exarch of Georgia and appointed a member of the Holy Synod. In 1858, Isidor was elected Metropolitan of Kiev, and then in 1860, he became the Metropolitan of Novgorod, St Petersburg and Finland with the added position of abbot of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg. As Metropolitan of St. Petersburg, Isidor became the presiding member of the Holy Synod.

Metr. Isidor was active in St. Petersburg, both as an ecclesiastic leader and among the civic organizations. He led in the effort of making a complete translation of the Bible into Russian, including making his own personal contributions. In 1869, he founded the Alexander Nevsky House for Care of Impoverished Clergy. He established the Diocesan School for Women and took the initiative in the development of ecclesiastical education and charity in the city. The result of his efforts was the popular reference to many of these educational and almshouse facilities as Isidor’s Institutions. In the civil arena, he was a member of the Russian Geographic Society, the Russian Archeological Society, and other scientific organizations.

Metr. Isidor reposed in 1892 and was buried in the St. Isidor Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. In 1932, his relics were moved to the Nikolskoe cemetery. In 1988, his grave was marked with a cross.